L. Macungie Supervisors Reject Office Building Plans

After more than an hour of debate over storm water concerns, Lower Macungie Township supervisors Thursday rejected an application for a 48,000-square-foot Hamilton Boulevard office building.

The township's Planning Commission last month had recommended conditional approval of the proposed plan for M.W. Wood corporate headquarters at Hamilton and Grange Road. That approval was given after hours of discussion during several meetings.

One township official noted after Thursday night's meeting that this was the first time he could remember a major subdivision plan being turned down by township supervisors.

In their unanimous rejection, supervisors said the plan fails to meet requirements of two subdivision and land development ordinances: 674.22, which says that detention areas shall be designed so that the rate of runoff from the site, when developed, will not exceed runoff of the site before development, and 672.3, which says that no storm water runoff or natural drainage water shall be diverted as to overload existing drainage systems or create flooding or the need for additional storage.

Supervisors' questions indicated that they were concerned about water to be discharged onto a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) swale along Hamilton.

It was brought out Thursday night and in previous meetings by the engineer for Wood, Tim Edinger of Huth Engineers, Allentown, and attorney William Malkames that the planned detention pond would control water runoff onto the swale so that it would not be any greater at any one time than now, but would flow for a longer period of time.

Edinger said that in a five-year storm event, the maximum runoff would be one-third the capacity of the road shoulder.

They also pointed out that the pond would actually help collect water currently being deposited on the neighboring property of Pauline Fowler and her son, Scott.

But the Fowlers' engineer, Matthew McTish with McTish, Kunkel & Associates, Wescosville, told supervisors: "The (Wood) site is like a sponge. When you develop it, it will not hold the water . . . you'll have wet conditions (on the swale) in front of the Fowlers much more of the time than now." The Fowlers said they object to having more water flowing on the swale.

McTish also said he disagrees with Wood engineers that the rate of flow from the property in the swale would be the same after development as it is now.

Supervisor Robert E. Lee questioned the township's liability for any safety hazards such as ice on that swale because of any additional water. Township attorney Blake Marles said the question is an open one now, one which may be resolved in Lehigh County Court within two years.

The Fowlers' attorney, Stephen Lanshe of Allentown, asked supervisors to at least study McTish's remarks, delaying a decision or rejecting the application, and Wood said he had to have a decision Thursday night. Supervisors and township engineers and attorneys recessed for 10 minutes for discussion before voting on the application.

In another matter, township resident Charlie Findlay told supervisors he feels that those persons who want to rent the Wescosville Community Center from now on should pay more - enough to cover the cost of having an attendant for functions.

While supervisors made no comment about a party on Saturday at the center that was raided by state police and 52 people cited for underage drinking, officials said after the meeting that the township islooking into the matter of how they hire out the hall.

Saturday's party organizer, Michael Kemeter, had said he told township personnel he wanted to rent the center for an anniversary party, and a friend known only as Tracy to the township paid the $35 rental fee.

Officials said they have already begun revising the method of renting the hall for persons or groups other than civic groups.